Melodious Cynicism
by magenta blues
Summary: Do funky beats and caustic humour go together? Musa X Riven. Set in real world universe. Characters are all ensnared in the rat race, can something that looks like teenage love survive?
1. Chapter 1

Set in an alternate universe. No fairy powers or anything like that. But the girls from Winx in the real world.

Disclaimer: I do not own Winx or its characters.

It's true that as you get older, you start to hate weddings, be it if you were married or single.

The bitter married couples would smile cynically at the bride prettily clad in white, clinging onto her groom's arm and secretly mourn and long for the novelty and innocent pleasures of their long past newly wed days.

The happily married ones would also have their share to gripe about, wedding gifts were after all an additional costly expense, an interruption in their usual basic planned household expenditure. The prices of appliances and silverware these days weren't what they used to be, and you of course wouldn't want to be known as the one who was so cheap that he gave the bridal couple coffee mugs from the dollar store. (Or its equivalent for that matter, but you get the idea.)

But weddings were, of course, particularly torturous if you were single. And that's where Musa was at Stella and Brandon's wedding; seated all by herself, single, solitary and alone amidst all the usual wedding décor fluff of white tulips, pink roses, and cascading peach cloths with floors strewn with confetti and scented candles everywhere. It was enough to make her want to jump up, tear out of the manor and jump on the next flight back to New York.

Nonetheless, her sense of propriety and friendship held her in her seat. Stella, Bloom, Flora, Techna and herself went way back. They had been high school buddies, so to speak. And when one grows up in an all girls' private school, you tended to form some pretty formidable friendships.

Still it wasn't easy to ignore the pang of loneliness as Musa watched Brandon twirl Stella around on the dance floor. It seemed like everybody had somebody. Bloom with her fiancée, Sky; Techna who by now was seven months in waiting and had Timmy tenderly patting her tummy; Flora who was feeding her on and off again boyfriend Helia food from her plate. It was as if the natural thing right now was for people of her age to get attached and have somebody by their side.

'I had to be the one to buck the trend.' Musa thought ruefully as she swirled the red wine in her glass. Then she shook her head and tried to force herself to regain her normal cheerful, optimistic composure.

'It isn't like I haven't had my share of fun,' she reasoned with herself. 'I mean there had been Riven.'

And then almost instantly, Musa regretted that she had thought of him.

It had been three years since they had last been together. It took her a year to get over him, another year to re-establish their friendship and now they were finally casual friends again. But Musa had solemnly vowed never to enter into anything more than a platonic relationship with the sullen, sulky chap with the sharp, dry wit. No matter how good he looked, nor how he always managed to make laugh, Musa was never going back to that again.

High pitched giggles brought Musa back to earth, and as her eyes refocused, she realized that Brandon had dipped Stella on the final notes of the song. The move had been perfectly executed and gained lots of applause from the guests.

"Oh my gosh, Stella is sooooo lucky to snag a guy like Brandon. I mean, he looks like a model. He is so hot." Musa glanced over her shoulder to see some of Stella's friends squeal over the bridal couple, or rather over Brandon.

"I know, I mean he is to die for. I would so do him if I had the chance." The platinum blonde, next to the first speaker, piped up.

Disgusted, Musa turned away. How could anyone think of doing the groom at their friend's wedding? Musa had just about enough of the whole affair and decided it was time to make her long-awaited exit. She gathered her purse and miscellaneous belongings and stood up to bid the wedding couple goodbye.

But as she turned, she found herself colliding with a chest, and falling quite ungracefully back into her seat.

"Ooof.." she exclaimed and restrained herself from muttering some swear words.

"Sorry, I've had a little too much to drink and… Musa?"

Musa's eyes widened slightly as she began to register the familiar male voice and just whose chest she had conveniently bumped into.

"Riven." She said civilly and managed a little smile.

"Gods, wow. It's uh… been a while." Riven said. She could smell the alcohol in his breath. But she couldn't hold it against him, she had been having a whale of a time with the free flow of alcohol provided at the banquet as well. She stared up at him. He looked fantastic in his charcoal grey suit, loosened tie and hair slightly messed up. Very delicious really. Gods, the alcohol must be getting to her too.

"Well, aren't you going to help me up?" She said sharply when she found her tongue.

"Oh I'm all for women's rights these days. I believe in giving them the space to perform for themselves." Riven replied in what would have normally been a very smooth return except that he was indeed a little tipsy and he couldn't help slurring his words.

"Which says a lot about chivalry and courtesy on your part," Musa said archly as she stood up again and smoothed her skirt. "Now if you'll excuse me, I need to find the bride and groom and bid them farewell."

She tried to brush past him but the next thing she felt was a pressure on her wrist and as she turned to gaze it, she realized that Riven had her wrist in a very firm grasp.

"Stay." He said.

It was crazy, but it seemed as if the room was spinning and getting way too warm. Musa found herself catching her breath. She scanned the dark brown eyes before her, trying to discern his motives, any possible sentiment… … …

But if there had been anything it was gone. Riven seemed to recollect himself and in a quiet, reasonable tone, he reminded her that it was only polite to stay til the end since Brandon and Stella had been close friends. He left soon after she had consented to stay, leaving her wondering, doubting and questioning if everything that had happened was just all inside her head.

Damn that free flow of wine. It was definitely impinging her judgment.


	2. Chapter 2

Perhaps the event that most newly weds look forward to on their wedding day was the wedding night. There, after the thousand and one wedding rehearsals, after all the guests had cleared out, the bridal couple could afford to adorn their natural skin and truly begin their lives together. In addition, the wedding night itself had its own distinctive natural enticement.

Such an event usually occurred after the wedding dinner party or reception. The bridal couple could expect to bid their guests goodbye and then make their way together, undisturbed, to their wedding bed.

Such an anticipated course of events however did not flow for bridal couples that go by the name of Brandon and Stella.

"Oh Riven! Did you really have to get drunk on my wedding day!" The blonde pouted as she struggled under the redhead's weight across her shoulders. The accused raised his head blearily and muttered something inaudible. Sandwiched between the newly weds and propelled up by having each take one of his arms across their shoulders, Riven found himself being half carried, half dragged across the car park.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. Seriously I … I can walk… …by myself. " Riven protested feebly.

"Yes, you did a spectacular job of that earlier by falling down in the middle of the car park." Brandon retorted, not feeling particularly kind towards one of his best men since he posed a disruption to the usual procession of events.

"I suppose we will have to drive you home. "Stella said in a tone that suggested that she sincerely wished otherwise.

Fortunately, for Riven, he was oblivious to any nuances in tones. Any amount of clarity he possessed was all used in one very simple task: to focus on the next step ahead and make sure that he didn't trip over his own feet.

'Right foot, then left foot. Right foot, left foot.'

He was so focused on this task that he didn't quite pay attention to the argument that was going on over his bent head. The newly weds had been bickering on who should drive Riven home and did they really want to chauffeur him back in that expensive Rolls Royce that was rented for their wedding. I mean, what if he puked?

"Oh wait!" Stella exclaimed, catching sight of a familiar figure in red. "Musa darling!"

Then, like magic, Riven's head snapped up at that familiar name.

As the lady in red approached them, Riven cursed himself for the state he was in.

'No better way to make an impression, really.' Riven thought sardonically to himself and forced himself to smile at Musa, hoping against all hope that in his drunken state, his smile was not coming off as a leer.

"Musa darling, be a dear, Riven can't possibly drive himself home tonight and you're a good driver and you've got a car… so…" Stella said sweetly, turning on the charm that had won over many a hearts.

Musa, however, was no guy and she stared back stoically at Stella.

"You want me to drive him home." The dark-haired femme stated. Riven groaned inwardly. He could take a cab back, he wasn't that long gone that he couldn't even hail himself a taxi.

"OH MUSA! That's so kind of you to offer!" Stella said, happily offloading Riven into her arms. Musa frowned and Riven grimaced. The two were a stark contrast to the beaming newly weds who were now very proud and satisfied with themselves for having found a convenient solution to their 'problem'.

"Now wait a minute… "Riven started. He would be damned if he was going to let some ladies start deciding how he should live his life now and he sure as heck wasn't going to admit that he was that incapacitated that he couldn't see his own butt home. Unfortunately, Stella and Brandon were already moving off, and Riven, despite his self-denial, was in no shape to chase after them and continue the argument.

"C'mon, I'm parked over here." Not able to contend his situation, and truly heartily sick of the whole matter, Riven for once, reserved his caustic comments and quietly followed Musa to her little black Toyota. He was secretly glad when he found himself sliding onto the cool leather seat. It would be nice to just get home and sleep and forget how he made a fool of himself. He shut his eyes and sighed contentedly.

A few minutes passed before Riven realized that they were still in the parking lot and that the car hadn't started up at all. Opening his eyes, he cast a questioning glance over to the girl in the driver's seat. She had her head resting on the steering wheel, her breathing shallow though even.

"Musa? I've heard of sympathy pains but seriously..." Riven teased but shot the girl a secret worried look. He stared at her for a while, the initial cursory look turning into wandering gaze as his eyes traveled down her white neck, over the curve of her exposed back and finally down her legs. His throat went dry and as some unbidden thought entered his mind, Riven quickly cleared his throat.

"Oh shut up. You're not the only one allowed to be tipsy ok." The girl said in embarrassment. Riven grinned, glad for the sharp tongue that Musa was naturally armed with.

Because God knows, he needed her biting remarks to keep himself grounded and away from entering that realm of fantasy again.

A/N: thank you for all the reviews! do RnR. i recognize that this chapter isn't really great. it was written in a rush, during a late night.


	3. Chapter 3

He slept like a pig.

'No, make that like a decibel-defying, deafening, riotous, noisy pig.' Musa thought quietly as she sipped her coffee, her knees hugged to her chest as she watched Riven's chest rise and fall in time to his rhythmic snores.

'Just a little louder and he could shatter the sound barrier.'

Very much wasted by the amount of drinks he had consumed, Riven had promptly fallen asleep in her car whilst they were on the road and Musa had been unable to extract information from him on the whereabouts of his home. Powerless to then bring him home since she knew not his new address, she did the next best thing; she brought him back to her hotel room. This had earned her several raised eyebrows and hushed whispers from the hotel staff and guests as they all eyed her with interest and watched her struggle to drag the comatose Riven up to her penthouse suite. She later handsomely tipped the porter who came to her aid.

Nonetheless, she was beginning to doubt how good an idea this was, since, thanks to his snoring, it had basically caused her a sleepless night.

'Well, at least he's a cute pig anyway.'

Musa smiled to herself as she watched the redhead who was passed out on the bed. She used to watch him fall asleep like this… …

Musa shook her head. That was a long time ago.

'It's in the past, over, done with.' She said savagely to herself, the coffee cup trembling slightly in her hand. Still, her mind couldn't help turning to the past. It was just something about being in such close confined quarters with him, the re-enactment of such a familiar practice, the fact that it was late and her mind wasn't exactly in its clearest, most objective state either that made her remember him, remember _them_.

_Your laugh. Your smile. Your special way of holding me tight when I was down. Your sarcastic, dry remarks that mocked me whilst behind my back you went out of your way to make sure that everything would be ok. The way you knew what I was thinking, the way you let me rant and rave and put up with all my silly antics. The way you drew me closer, your breath tickling my face, your lips on mine. Those devastating kisses. Gods, some days I really miss you. _

'Some days.' Musa reminded herself sternly. 'Not everyday, you don't want to go back to that.'

And of course, she could recall why they parted as clearly as she had earlier recollected all their special moments together.

They had been together for about a year and 2 months. They had gotten together in her senior year of high school. Then when she had graduated, the tumultuous period of their relationship set in. She was leaving to study overseas.

They had tried to upkeep a long distance relationship, but the strain was obvious on both of them. Musa had been so excited about entering college that she immersed herself completely in the student life; Riven was often reallocated to the back-burner. Their phone conversations became shorter and shorter as Musa often found herself rushing off to one event after another. She should have known that Riven would not have tolerated this for long. But she never expected the shocker that he served to her on such a cold platter.

It was worse that she hadn't heard it from him, but that it had taken a nervous Techna to reveal the truth to her. A rather irate Riven, fed up with being second to all her other activities, had been seeing other girls back home behind her back.

She confronted him, they fought, both having too much pride to back down and apologise. And even though he had ceased seeing other girls during that period of time, the words they had blindly flung at each other had cut deeper than their acts and then neither was willing to return to the other after all that had been said at that time.

'Not just at that time.' Musa again reminded herself. Still, she had to admit that the scars they had inflicted on each other and on their own selves were no longer their original shade of angry red and had indeed over time settled into a smooth cool bump on the skin.

'We could have made it… if we weren't so stupid.' Musa sighed and rested her eyes back on the sleeping male figure. She was startled when she found a brilliant pair of indigo eyes staring back at her.

'Augh, is there any more of that coffee?'

A/N: yeah this chapter was mostly focused on a constructed history. I'm not trying to make Riven out to be a bad guy but take it that you have a biased account of their history since this is focalized from Musa's view.


	4. Chapter 4

When Riven awoke, his initial reaction was a state of panic. He didn't recognize the room he was in, he wasn't sure how he got here, he couldn't recollect the events of last night and if he had gone to bed with anybody, he sure as heck couldn't remember who it was nor recall her name (that is, he hoped it was a she).

He rolled over to his side apprehensively, not quite sure who his eyes would fix on and his mind struggled frantically against an impending pounding headache to come up with some feasible excuse to explain last night, well whatever happened last night anyway. It was to his great relief when he recognized the girl seated in the arm chair across the bed.

Musa.

Riven observed that she had her hair tied up in two ridiculous pigtails, her hallmark since her high school days, and that she was staring pensively out of the window. She didn't seem to notice that he had awakened but rather seemed to be lost in thought. As his own thoughts whirled in his head, he glanced at the bed he was on and noticed that her side was not slept in. Its sheets still remain somewhat unwrinkled and there was no signature dent that would usually indicate that another bodily presence had been there.

'Guess we both weren't that drunk last night.' Riven thought. 'Thank God, I suppose.'

He smiled ruefully, carefully ignoring some thoughts that would have gotten him beaten up into a black and blue pulp had Musa known what was going on in his head. Though, in all honesty, he wouldn't have minded if the dark haired girl tried raging and pummeling against him. He kind of missed those days when she used to fly into a tantrum and took it out on him. He usually goaded her on by making biting, patronizing comments that he knew would irk her and make her further aggravated. Yes, he missed teasing her.

He continued to watch her, his casual glance slowly growing into a longing, wistful gaze.

'Crap, who am I kidding? I don't just miss teasing her, I miss _her_.'

He had been weak and stupid in the past and he had blown his chance. He had misinterpreted her increasingly distant phone calls and had suspiciously regarded her excuses of 'busyness'. Those excuses had often come so frequently and they seemed to be too convenient. He suspected her of seeing others over there and had decided to carry out his own plan of retaliation, only to have it all backfire and blow up in his face later.

So now, he was left with the dust, smoke and cinders, remnants of their past relationship that he couldn't seem to spark alive. But she had left an indelible imprint in his life. And try as much as he liked, he couldn't walk away from her, couldn't get over her and still wanted her. She never noticed the secret glances he cast her way when he was sure no one else was watching, nor how hungry the look was in his eyes sometimes.

Like the innocent, somewhat ditsy pixie she was, she just didn't know.

Then he heard her suck in her breath. She was now watching him, like he was watching her.

"Augh, is there any more of that coffee?" Riven said, bringing his hand up his forehead, carefully shielding his eyes from her own suddenly piercing gaze.

"Y-yeah, you want some?" Musa asked, a little startled.

"Well duh, I asked for it." Riven replied gruffly. Musa's face flamed red but she stood up quickly and woodenly walked towards where the table where the coffee machine was.

'Great, now she's insulted.' Riven groaned inwardly as he observed Musa's mannerisms. She had roughly jerked the coffee jug out its place and was pouring coffee into a little mug for him. Then she made a sharp turn and approached his bedside.

"Here you go, all black and no sugar." She said sweetly, perhaps a little too sweetly. Riven looked at the steaming mug she held out for him and noticed that she had filled it all the way to the brim. There was no way Riven could drink that without spilling some hot coffee on himself.

"Thanks." Riven said dryly, gingerly sipping some of the coffee before delicately placing it on the bedside table. He managed to succeed in all this without slopping any coffee on himself or on any of the sheets "Got any food or breakfast either?'

"Well, there's room service." Musa said, her voice betraying her disappointment that her little plan had been foiled.

"Yech, that's overpriced food in almost microscopic portions. C'mon we gotta get some real breakfast."

"We?" Musa echoed.

"Well yeah, we. You have to get out of your little hole sometimes you know." Riven said, a crooked grin gracing his lips.

He stood up, but the rapid motion made the blood rush to his head and he stumbled unsteadily as he tried to regain his footing. Two hands fluttered to his side in panic and helped to pull him up.

"I'm not so sure if you're even in the state to go out!" Musa said mockingly. Riven laughed. Touche. She had got him there. Straightening himself, he glanced down at her. She was peering up at him with teasing eyes, daring him to come up with a suitable retort. She obviously hadn't realized her hands were still on his sides, nor how close they were standing.

'The silly little pixie is oblivious to everything!' Riven thought and swallowed hard. He, on the other hand, felt as if all his senses were all fire. He could smell the lemony scent of her shampooed hair, he could feel the soft pressure of her hands that pulsated from his sides, and he had heard the littlemusical little laughin her voice when she had teased him about being able to even walk. It all seemed so intoxicating, she seemed intoxicating.And as he looked down at her, he could see the red soft lips and he knew he could taste them if he just lowered his head a little more… …

"Riven," He heard her whisper.

"Yeah," He said hoarsely.

"Go shower, you stink." She said, pushing him away lightly.

He laughed good-naturedly. Well, what was he expecting anyway?

'Another chance, you dope.' A voice in his head nagged at him. But Riven shook his head. He would never ask for another chance.

His pride wouldn't let him.


	5. Chapter 5

"This is the fancy café with the best, the unbeatable breakfasts in the whole city?" Musa said incredulously as she stared up at the building before her. The once white walls were now dirty, gray and in desperate need of a new paint job. The signboard was chipped and had some letters missing from it, the windows had fingerprints all over them and… oh the list went on and Musa couldn't help feeling disappointed at the whole prospect of it all.

"Hey it ain't the Shangri La but Poppa's still cuts it for the best meal on a dollar!" Riven said and flashed her his usual crooked grin as he grabbed Musa by the wrist and led her in.

"But I don't need food on a dollar, I can afford more than that" Musa mumbled inaudibly as she reluctantly followed behind Riven. She did a double take once they were inside. The interior of the café was nothing like its somewhat dilapidated façade. The whole place was decked out like a fifties' diner. The walls were painted red, vinyl records were displayed on each panel, posters of old movies and stars and various paraphernalia were tastefully and artfully scattered around the entire diner. And in a volume so subtle, Musa could hear Bob Seger's raspy voice singing "Old Time Rock and Roll".

"Holy Moley, talk about flashback to the past!" Musa said, her mouth hanging wide open as she clung onto Riven's arm, her eyes darting from poster to poster. There was so much for her to visually consume, she felt quite sure that she could just spend the entire morning here, just sitting and staring at all the 50s memorabilia.

"Wait until you try the food here, it's good home-style cooking. None of that fast, instant shit that you get these days."

"Oh I don't care about the food, I'm already in love with this place!" Musa exclaimed.

"Just wait." Riven said, chuckling a little as he waved at the nearby waitress to attract her attention and place their orders.

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"Why did I let you bring me there?" Musa groaned, patting her stomach delicately as she and Riven strolled out of the funky little diner. "I've never pigged out so much in my life!"

"Huh, that's unusual." Riven shot her a disbelieving look. Musa frowned and hastily corrected her statement.

"Ok, ok, so I haven't pigged outlike thisin such a long time anyway."

"You've always eaten like a pig."

"What! I do not!" Musa cried out indignantly.

"Yeah, you do, whenever we used to get ice cream, you would slobber all over yours and never finish it in time; your hands were always sticky because you had ice cream trailing down all over your fingers.

"…" Musa stared at him speechless, half-infuriated that he had so accurately pointed out a little annoying habit of hers, and half-amazed at the detail of his memory. She didn't think Riven had noticed much of her habits in the past, nor had she expected him to have observed so closely and committed it all to memory.

Riven cast a quick glance in her direction and noted her uptight posture.

"Chill, even if you made a mess of yourself, you always somehow managed to look cute doing it." He drawled lazily.

"Cute." Musa folded her arms across her chest and stared at Riven in annoyance.

"Yeah cute, like a little kid." He said, tongue-in-cheek, and gave one of her pigtails a playful tweak before stalking off towards the Black Toyota.

'Like a kid!' Musa glared at Riven's retreat back. Then slowly, a sly, impish little grin began to form on her face. 'If it's like a kid he wants, it's like a kid he gets.' Musa thought as she backed up a few steps before taking a running start.

Riven had distinctly heard the thundering footsteps behind him, but hearing them had not really helped him much. Before he could react, Musa pounced on Riven's back, forcing him to piggyback her in order to ensure that her butt did not unceremoniously land on the asphalt road.

"You crazy pixie!" Riven yelped as Musa began to give him little 'noogies' on the head with her knuckles.

"Say you're sorry!"

"For what! I didn't do anything!"

Their tussle continued for a while. Riven stumbled from side to side, unable to walk straight as he thrashed about wildly in his efforts to disentangle himself from Musa. Arms flailing everywhere, the duo were quite a sight to see and the noise created from their chaos would have scattered any birds roosting in their trees.

In the end, Riven struggled towards the car and pinned Musa between his body and the cool surface of the streamlined automobile. Setting her down on the ground and off his back, Riven whirled around and grabbed hold of both her wrists, holding them firmly down to her sides lest she tried any other strange antics and caused more bodily harm to him.

She was still laughing gaily when he glared at her.

"What's the matter Riven? Am I too much for you to handle?" she teased, her eyes dancing, her lips twisted in a smug smile. The smirk died away from her lips as she caught sight of the dangerous look in his eyes. By now, they were both hot from their little wrestle and Musa could feel the heat emanating from Riven's body as well as his hot breath gracing her skin. She could have sworn that they had been standing further apart at first, but it now seemed as if Riven's body was positioned a lot closer to her frame. They were standing so close, so... dangerously close. Almost by instinct, Musa lifted her chin and she stared back at Riven. She couldn't think. Her mind was blank. She was just waiting.

"Maybe," Riven answered as his mouth claimed hers. It was everything but a gentle, chaste kiss. It was hungry, wolf-like, _possessive_. But Musa didn't mind as she yielded to him.

Because for a while, everything else ceased to exist.

A/N: man… this chapter made me nervous because I was trying to avoid making it into a trashy romance scene. Anyway thank you for the reviews guys! Hope you enjoyed this new chappie. I'm sorry to say that this fic will be on hold for at least two weeks because I'm going to be away traveling for the next few days. May this suffice for now!


	6. Chapter 6

For a while, everything else ceased to exist.

In this world, there was only Musa and him. Two seemingly polar opposites joined together in one long-awaited union.

He couldn't think, couldn't speak, he could only feel the tiny compact body that was melting into his, and know with some conviction that this was right. This was what he had been missing all these years.

And all too suddenly, he could feel her pulling back, her warm frame peeling away, fading from his fervent touch and the shadow cast on his shirt by the outline of her body grew.

She was covering her mouth now and shaking her head.

No, no, no!

Sinking dread clung to him like a wave of cold sweat as he frantically tried to figure out what he had done wrong. Did he move too fast? Was he too aggressive? Hell, what did he do?

"I'm sorry… we shouldn't, this… this can't happen again," Musa said, placing one delicate but firm hand on his chest to maintain the distance between them.

"Why the hell not?" Damn it, that's not how he meant for it to sound. Riven inwardly cursed himself as the words from his mouth tumbled out in a frustrated, abrasive manner. It was all this damn anxiety and dread he was feeling. He couldn't think straight and he knew that Musa had him at his weakest spot. He was desperately clinging at straws, trying to find something substantial that would bind him to her.

Her brows furrowed. The agitation in his tone didn't escape her. Curtly, she replied,

"Well, for one thing, we don't live in the same city anymore. Last time I checked, the long distance relationship we embarked on didn't turn out too hot. I'm not interested in repeating history."

"Damn it Musa. Didn't you feel anything in that kiss? It felt… like we are right for each other." Riven said in exasperation.

Seeing her features soften slightly, Riven took the chance and grabbed the hand that rested on his chest. Cradling it in his larger hands, he stroked her wrist gently before placing a light kiss on the top of her hand.

"Don't deny it. I know you still feel something for me. We have so much chemistry and history together," Riven said huskily, moving to draw Musa back into his embrace.

"No!" Musa said, jumping back and withdrawing her hand. "I'm sorry, but maybe that's our problem. Relationships can't be built on feeling and chemistry alone. You taught me that a long time ago. And… and it's just too difficult. I have a career in New York, Riven, and you have your life here in Red Fountain."

Riven stared at her in disbelief. He had laid himself bare before her even if he didn't explicitly articulate his vulnerability. But here she was throwing the 'career' card back in his face. She hadn't changed at all.

"I see." He said icily. Musa gazed at him troubled and perturbed by the tone of his voice.

"I see, but you're still clueless on one aspect. This relationship won't work not because it's too difficult, Musa. But damn anyone who tries to inconvenience you and your rat race up the ladder rungs."

Musa stared at him shocked.

"You're blaming me?" She said shrilly.

Riven ran his hand through his hair and stepped back from her. A grim expression graced his face. Musa contemplated firing back her own scathing remarks but suddenly she felt tired, weary and all too old for this.

"Forget it. Let's forget everything that happened and go back to being friends ok?" Musa said as she forced a limp smile onto her face. She was about to reach for his hand and shake it when she noticed that he wasn't reciprocating her gesture.

"I can't. I can't do what you do Musa. Switch off and live your princess life. I don't have that luxury. I can't be friends with you when I know I want to belong to you in ways that friendship cannot afford."

"Riven, what are you saying?" Musa asked slowly while inwardly trying to quell her fears.

"I guess, I'm saying goodbye. With me, it's all or nothing Musa" When she remained silent, he sighed and kissing her lightly on the cheek, he turned and began to walk, leaving her numb, cold and left behind.

A/N: ok... I am melodramatic. And I watch too many soap operas maybe. In any case, the theme is still unrequited love! Do review! And have a good weekend y'all!


	7. Chapter 7

She had flown back to New York the next day.

She had driven like a mad woman to her hotel, ignoring the incensed honks from other drivers protesting at her reckless driving. She had stormed back into her hotel suite. She had called the airline company, shifted her flight home to an earlier date, paid the penalty fare, flung her clothes in an angry blur into her luggage and drove her rented vehicle to the airport.

And with over seven hours to spare before her flight, Musa had whipped out her credit card and proceeded to conduct a little retail therapy at the duty free sections. And when that wasn't enough and Musa realized she still had plenty of time to kill on her hands, she had made her way to the little bar located at the transit lounge.

Now she was back in her apartment in New York, nursing a headache while her purchases from yesterday still lay scattered over the floor of her living room. It was childish she knew, but in her incapacitated state, Musa had uttered every swear word she had known and occasionally shook an angry fist at the imaginary Riven in her room.

'A sure sign that I need help' Musa thought wryly as she reflected on her actions. Just then, her cell phone buzzed.

" H-hello?" Musa managed a gruff greeting as she picked up her phone, her head still pounding against the stillness of the minimalist design of her living space.

"Ok, what the heck is going on? I get a message on my phone at about 2pm yesterday saying that you were flying back ASAP and that a cab had to be arranged for you and all your paperwork to be on your desk by 10am this morning. And THEN, you don't show up for work? I mean, what the heck Musa???" a crisp and irate voice came over the other line.

Oh yeah, and she had somehow managed to message her personal assistant yesterday and arranged for a day where she could easily lose herself in work and forget all about Red Fountain and him.

Except she hadn't planned on drinking that much alcohol at the airport lounge and waking up with a splitting headache the next day.

"Hi Layla," Musa said wearily as she cradled the phone close to her left ear. Over the course of the years, Layla had come to take on more than the role of a personal assistant. Musa glimpsed in the young feisty woman a solid confidante and friend. Layla was one of her most trusted and closest companions.

This intimate relationship however, also meant that Layla had free rein to chide her boss and friend whenever she felt it appropriate.

"Well, what happened? Did you fall ill? Why are you back so early? The team isn't ready with their proposal yet and … are you okay? You don't sound like yourself." Layla said, her steady chatter coming to a sudden halt as she registered the morose tone of her compatriot.

"Nothing happened. Well, no, something stupid did happen but it shouldn't have happened."

"Is this about that guy you went out with in high school?" Layla said cautiously.

Musa smiled ruefully into the phone. Trust Layla to hit the mark ever so accurately.

"Yeah, we… I… he" Musa said, trying to frame her scattered thoughts and gather her composure.

"I'll be right over." The telephone clicked on the other end.

-----------------------------------------------------

A tub of Ben & Jerry's later,

Layla shook her head as she watched Musa lay listlessly on the couch, trying to scan the numbers of some work related article.

"You need rest, coffee and a long conversation with that guy, River." Layla said, firmly plucking the papers out of Musa's hand.

"Riven." Musa corrected her. "And no, I don't need to talk to him again. I'm through with him. No, I don't need rest; plunging into my work helps me to forget about a certain ex. But I will take the coffee." Musa snatched back the papers from Layla's hands.

Layla promptly plucked the papers out of Musa's hand again, much to the growing irritation of her companion.

"Fine, then talk to me. Expel all your negative energy."

Musa raised her eyebrows.

"You've been taking too many yoga therapy classes haven't you?"

"It works. I'm fitter, healthier and way more at peace with men than you are." Layla replied serenely. "Now, talk."

Musa closed her eyes. Where should she begin? That all the feelings she had managed to subdue for the redhead had somehow managed to resurface at the mere sight of him at the party? Or was it when he took her out for breakfast and managed to make her laugh over and over again, and she felt completely at ease with herself, something that wasn't very common when she was with other men. Or maybe it was the realization when they were standing close and she felt the intensity of his gaze, and that the look she had seen in his eyes meant that he was finally willing to commit to her and only her.

And she had been scared.

"How can I trust him?" She said finally. "He wants me to put my career second and stick around for him. But if he leaves me again, then what would have all that sacrifice been for?"

"I mean, it's not like he hasn't slept around before while we were together." Musa gritted out, her fist tightening on the couch.

Layla nodded her head sympathetically and reached over to stroke Musa's head.

"But maybe that's why you guys need to talk. I mean, there was so much left unresolved between the two of you since the last time." Layla said gently.

"No. I just want to him out of my head right now." Musa said stubbornly and turned her body away from Layla.

Layla sighed. It looked as if Musa planned to spend a day wallowing in grief. She stood up and brushed down her skirt. She would leave first then. There was much to be done both at the office and outside of it.

Placing a light kiss on Musa's hair, Layla whispered her good-bye and left the apartment building. Her mind was whirling as she rode the elevator down to the ground level. She had only two minutes to come to a firm decision. The lift doors opened as Layla walked purposefully out of the elevator shaft and out of the building. The bright light outside stung her eyes immediately. She rummaged through her purse and whipped out two items, her sunglasses and her cell phone. As she adjusted her shades on the bridge of her nose with one hand, her other hand was busy punching in numbers into her cell phone. Soon, the tiny device was next to her ear, and Layla was making quick brisk steps through the crowd. The ringing on the other end stopped and a friendly voice answered. Layla smiled as she executed her plan of action.

"Hi Lucy, yeah it's me, Layla. I was wondering if you could get me the first flight out to Red Fountain today?"


	8. Chapter 8

Author's note: I do not own the characters here. They belong to the creator of Winx Club.

On another note: Thanks for all the reviews guys! I am glad that you guys liked the last chapter. As promised, i tried not to take too long with chapter eight. Do suspend belief if some parts seem a little incredible. But again I always enjoy reviews and constructive criticism! so here's chapter 8.

Chapter 8

'Maybe this wasn't such a great idea,' Layla thought as doubts started collecting in her mind. She hardly knew what Riven looked like, and she had a strong suspicion that he would not necessarily be receptive to any form of intervention in his romantic relationships. Worse yet, she hadn't had the time to script her imminent dialogue with Riven. She knew she had to talk sense into one of them, and since Musa was never very cooperative whenever she entered into one of her melancholy, grouchy phases, she had figured that Riven might be the easier choice.

Everything would have been logical and perfect if only she had concocted a plan that went beyond the trivial details of finding and tracking down Riven.

Oh well.

Layla scanned the crowd at the Blue Jigsaw. The club was alive with young bodies mingling, women were clad in skimpy little dresses and mile-long legs, men were heavily doused in excessive amounts of cologne. The whole scene made Layla feel highly uncomfortable and out of place in her stiff white collar blouse and gray, knee-length pencil-line skirt.

"Hey, I like the way you look."

Layla started as a male voice spoke into her ear. She turned to see a tall man with a sleepy-eyed grin plastered on his face, a bottle of beer dangling from his right hand as he stretched himself against the wall next to her.

"Pardon?" Layla said incredulously, wondering if her hearing had failed her.

"I said you looked good. Want to get a drink with me, babe?" The alcohol in his breath stung her and she instinctively took a step back.

"Sorry, I'm looking for someone else." Layla said curtly.

"Aw, that's too bad, because I bet you would have looked even better on me."

'Agh' Layla inwardly cringed. The plan seemed to be taking an even worse direction. Why the hell would he think that such a line would work on her when everything about her façade suggested otherwise?

"OK buddy, try that line on a girl who is a lot younger and who is a little more than intoxicated. Actually, don't even bother trying." Layla grated out. She turned smartly on her heel and squeezed her way through the crowd towards the bar. It wasn't easy but after a little elbowing and shoving, Layla managed to secure herself a seat at the bar… … between two tipsy large fellows singing a highly tuneless song.

'Dear God, give me the patience.'

Still, Layla had a good view of Riven from this angle, or at least who she believed was Riven from the few photos she had seen. She also knew that this would be the best possible way to establish contact with him since people seated at the bar had the best opportunities to chat up bartenders.

"Hey!" She said, waving at him, frowning as she noticed the crowd of girls that gathered around him, oohing and aahing at his bartending skills. Riven smiled briefly and excused himself from his little entourage.

"What can I get you, Miss?" Riven said good-naturedly.

"I need to talk to you. Can you meet me after you get off work?" Layla said loudly as the volume of the music turned up at that point and the room pulsed to fast, throbbing rhythms.

"You're a direct one, aren't you?" Riven said, amused. Layla rolled her eyes. She didn't come to feed another man's ego.

"No, it's about Musa."

That got his attention. Riven sobered up immediately and the crooked grin on his face disappeared in a flash.

"Is she all right? Did something happen? Tell me." Riven's voice took on a commanding tone and the muscles in his jaw tightened.

Layla shook her head.

"Look, just meet me at the 24-7 Café at 7th Avenue when you get off work. It's easier to talk… and hear each other there."

Riven nodded his assent as he stared at Layla, a question of wonder and curiosity burned in his eyes. Despite his firm vows the previous day to forget Musa, he couldn't help but jump at the sound of her name. He had spent the past 24 hours replaying their last conversation and had continually wondered how much his words might have hurt her. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to call and apologise because some part of him felt justified in his statement. The other part of him, however, was a tattered and torn pride that refused to reveal his vulnerable self.

---- ------- ---------- ----------- ------------- ------------ ------------ ----------------

"Boy likes girl. Girl likes boy. You would think these things would be simple enough." Layla mumbled, as she absentmindedly ran her teaspoon against the curved surface of a once-polished white coffee mug. Inwardly, Layla wondered if the confident young bartender with the perpetual smirk on his lips would even show up. If he didn't, it would mean that she had just wasted a whole ton of money and effort. Layla's lips grew into a thin grim line at the thought and she unconsciously stirred her coffee even more vigorously. She would give him ten more minutes.

The door to the little diner opened and a draft of cold air spiralled in with it. The shiny little bell (the only clean and new contraption in the tiny diner) sounded its clear crisp ring, performing its timely duty of informing its owner of new patrons. Layla glanced at the entrance and smiled at the tall hooded figure slowly making his way towards her.

"You're late." She said, not bothering with the customary courtesies of greeting her companion. "I almost believed you weren't going to come."

"I wasn't sure if I would either. This whole thing sounds pretty suspicious. I don't even know who you are." Riven replied evenly, levelling Layla with a piercing gaze.

'So this is Musa's type? Dark, brooding and all-around smart-ass?' Layla sat back in amusement before extending her hand to Riven.

"Point taken. I'm Layla, close associate of Musa's and possibly guardian of her sanity. And I have a proposition for you." Layla said smoothly, whipping out a file from her briefcase and laying it flat in front of Riven.

Riven raised his eyebrows. He was tired, confused and above all, highly bewildered at the lady's behaviour before him. Her highly professional demeanour threw him off, he felt as if he was being sent on some kind of quest, like to recover the Holy Grail or something.

"What…" He didn't have time to finish his question. The dark-skinned female before him made an impatient noise and drew his attention to the file by tapping on it with a perfectly French manicured nail.

"Just read, all you need to know is inside the file. I typed everything out and made all the necessary arrangements." She said matter-of-factly.

"If you don't mind, I'd rather hear it from the horse's mouth" Riven said and checked himself when he saw the woman before him glower slightly. "Not that I'm calling you a horse or anything… it's just a figure of speech."

"I see." She said curtly. "Well, simply put, I want you to go to New York and woo Musa again. "

"You want me to what??" Riven sputtered. 'Ok she wasn't just scary, she was nuts as well.' Riven thought to himself as he stared incredulously at Layla.

"Oh please. You had one day to reconnect and you expected her to choose to be with you all over again? I mean, I'm not Dr. Phil or Aunt Agony but even I have enough sense to see that something like that would never work. What I'm offering you is the opportunity to be with Musa and win her over again. Prove to her and yourself that you do want this relationship to work."

"You're crazy."

"No. I'm just freakishly efficient and practical. Inside that file, you will find your air ticket to New York, Your keys to a rented apartment and your new job details. You will be working for me under our company's catering department… what? You expected a free ride? You got to work for your time in New York" Layla said huffily as Riven's eyebrows rose even higher at the mention of work.

"Right, I already have a job here."

"You can take your two weeks' leave. And in your own words but paraphrased, what's it going to be? The girl or the job?" Layla issued him a challenging stare and smiled as she realized that she was indeed ruffling his feathers. Riven seem to grow more annoyed and intrigued by the second. His irritation was evident by the growing scowl on his face. Yet, Layla noted that he kept returning to the file now, flipping through the pages and re-reading certain articles of information.

"So, you want me to go to New York. Live there for two weeks and try to show Musa how much we should be together?" Riven asked slowly. Layla nodded her head. "Right, I think you're forgetting that there's another party involved in this whole process and that Musa has made it pretty clear that I'm not wanted in her picture-perfect life anymore."

"You idiot. She was scared. You guys reconnect and sparks fly all at once in one day. Of course the girl doesn't know how to react. You are everything that threatens her current status in life, but the balance had been tipped a long time ago anyway. She loves you. She's just afraid of being hurt again."

"I could hurt her again. I think I probably did already." Riven said softly as the memory of their last conversation floated into his mind. He could recall the way Musa's had clouded over and the habit she had of biting her lip whenever she refused to show that she was weak.

"Yes, and that's something you two have to work out. If you two can't be together again, then fine. But you need to at least resolve all these remnant tensions." Layla said, the authoritarian note in her voice softening as she placed a comforting hand on Riven's shoulder. She watched as Riven struggled inwardly with the decision before him. The usually stoic Riven now seemed to reveal all his inner turmoil on his face; his jaw muscles alternately tightened and relaxed, his brow was furrowed in deep concentration and his fists seemed to grip the file even tighter.

"Why are you doing all this?" Riven asked finally.

"I told you. I'm the guardian of Musa's sanity."


	9. Chapter 9

For the eleventh time, Musa read the same line of the same page she had been stuck on for at least the past ten minutes.

And as fate would have it, Musa found that her mind began wandering again as soon as she hit the sixth word of the sentence. A full one hundred and twenty seconds was required to pass before Musa would crossly awaken from her reverie. Another full minute was necessary for her to then check her behaviour and mentally chide herself. When this silent process was complete, the cycle all too conveniently began again as soon as her eyes rested on that dreaded sixth word of the unfortunately equally dreary sentence.

She had been daydreaming too much lately. She had been having horrible naughty dreams that made her flush whenever she returned back to reality. These dreams however always turned into heart-wrenching moments and they seemed to all end with the retreating figure of a familiar tall sulky man.

Riven.

Musa wanted to kick herself in the head. What sane, mature, professional woman continued to obsess over their high school sweetheart? That kind of puppy love belonged to those carefree, naïve teenage years. She didn't need to be plagued by endless moments of anguish and yearning. She was a self-possessed, accomplished, modern woman of the 21st century.

Yet, all she wanted to do was scream "I'm sorry!" and "Stay!" at the retreating figure in her dreams. She wanted to grab him, shake him, spill her insides out in front of him and confess every fear and doubt.

But the figure in her dreams kept on walking away. And in all her hazy, mental wanderings, she often found that she had no voice to scream the very words she wanted to express to him.

"I want to, but I can't. I don't know how." Simple words that were simultaneously vague and complex. They represented the depth of her emotional struggle, the battle of fears against her own burning desire.

"Dammit, dammit, dammit, dammit!" Musa said as she stared at the same sixth word in the sentence for the twelfth time now.

"Now what could have inspired such foul language from our resident fairy-like superwoman?" an amused male voice enquired. The deep, masculine tenor startled Musa and she glanced up quickly. Standing before her was a dark haired, clean-shaven young man sharply dressed in a business suit. His hair was neatly swiped to the side and his eyes sparkled with humour and warmth.

"Hi Jared," Musa said, smiling ruefully "It's just me having a temper tantrum with this document that I can't seem to get started on reading,"

"The Houst case? I don't blame you. That's one dry article. Whoever wrote it had no sense of paragraphing or of any stylistic aspects of writing at all!" Jared said good-naturedly.

"My sentiments exactly" Musa said, although inwardly she knew that the badly written paper was only half the reason for her violent outburst. Unwittingly, she sighed as her thoughts meandered again and came to rest on Riven. She didn't notice the concerned look Jared shot her at the escape of her sigh, nor did she observe how quickly he pulled up a chair next to her. Her awareness was only sparked again when he came to rest a warm hand on her shoulder.

"You look like you need a break." Jared said, his eyes reflecting worry.

"I just had one. I went back to my old hometown recently." Musa said before observing that Jared's hand continued to linger on her shoulder.

"Yeah well, it looks like that break didn't help you much. Your shoulder muscles are all tense." Jared said and stood up. Before Musa realized what he was doing, Jared had already positioned himself behind her chair and soon strong hands were working out the knots in her shoulders. Musa felt that she should protest, but the hands massaging her shoulders did make her feel very good and were indeed effective in making her relax.

"Are you going to the company dinner tonight?" Jared asked as his hands travelled up to Musa's neck and his fingers continued to perform tiny circular movements on her nerves there.

"Mmm, I don't know. Company dinners are always kind of a drag." Musa admitted.

"Tell me about it. I have to go though. My department is in charge of hosting tonight." Jared said as he worked his way down Musa's neck and began doing little chops along her spine.

"Uh huh." Musa said distractedly. That felt good. It reminded her of the way Riven…

Musa's eyes snapped open. She was doing it again. Fantasizing about a high school romance. When was she ever going to learn?

"So, uh, I was wondering, if you would like to come with me tonight? I mean, it's boring and all, but you and I always seem to have a good time when we hang out, so I thought…" Musa was suddenly aware that Jared was still speaking. He was still rubbing her back but as his voice trailed off, she realized that Jared was waiting for her answer.

"You mean, like a date?" Musa asked tentatively.

"Not if you don't want it to be" Jared said simply. "I don't really bother putting labels to these things."

"Huh." Musa said, her mind whirling. A big part of her recoiled at the idea of going on a date with anyone else right now. Yet another part of her rationalized that she had to start getting over Riven once and for all since he had made it pretty clear that between the two of them, it had to be all or nothing. And since, it was pretty much shaping up to be more of nothing…

"Ok." Musa said finally. "I'll see you at the dinner tonight then."

---------------------- ------------------ ---------------- ----------------- ----------------- ----------

Riven stared at the reflection in the mirror dismally. He felt so uncomfortable in the stiff white collar uniform and polished black shoes that Layla had gotten for him. Sure the clothes fit, but he looked like a ridiculous sailor boy lacking only a sailor's cap.

"I can't do this." Riven said, and began to pull at the starchy white collar.

"You signed a contract!" Layla hissed, waving the paper dangerously in front of him.

Riven rolled his eyes. "Look, I don't do uniforms ok! I'm used to serving people in my comfy blue jeans and regular shirts."

"What is the big deal? It's just clothes!"

"Do you have any idea how positively wrong I look in this outfit? I might as well be one of those stripper boys clad in uniforms!" Riven said in exasperation. "Don't visualize it!" He snapped when he noticed Layla considering his words and giving him a critical look-over. Burying his head in his hands, he inwardly groaned to himself. This was shaping out to be a very bad idea.

"You look fine. You look more like one of those theme park helpers than a stripper."

"Thanks." Riven said dryly. He now strongly believed that Layla should not concern herself with any attempts at optimism. He doubted that she would be truly encouraging to anyone.

"Look, think about the end goal. Everyone is required to attend the company dinner. Musa will be there. You get to touch base with her and talk to her." Layla said, trying to assume a perky and chirpy demeanour.

"I still don't see how this is going to work." Riven grumbled though his insides did a little flip at the prospect of seeing Musa. He had been doing a lot of thinking ever since his brief re-encounter with Musa. He realized that his feelings for her had matured and changed during the time they were apart. His desire and hunger for her was still the same as yesterday, but now he recognized the emergence of new, previously unknown feelings. He trusted Musa; she was the only woman who re-affirmed his value, who accepted him for who he was and yet was patient enough to wait and nurture the latent change she knew that was possible within him. He understood that he had forfeited the trust that she had, in those early days, easily placed in him. But he still believed in her and in the fact that there was probably no one else better suited for him than the pixie-like female. He was plagued with an insatiable need to be her protector. For everything that she had invested in him in the past, he realized that more than anything, he wanted to reciprocate her actions and quietly nurture her and travel beside her for the rest of his life.

For the rest of his life. Riven's eyes widened slightly. He paused in his actions (which consisted mainly of tugging at his starchy white uniform). Was he ready for that? Did he understand the actual significance of his own words and thoughts? He couldn't be sure. All he knew was that he wanted to be with her again so that he could figure out all these questions in his head. Somehow, he believed in his simple way, that spending time with her and holding her in his arms again would reveal to him the answers that he had been seeking for a while.

"Hello, earth to Riven! We have a dinner to attend!" Layla said, impatiently snapping her fingers in front of his face. Riven shook his head and turned his attention back to the frowning lady in front of him. He scowled and Layla smirked in return. She was increasingly finding that the snarl of his face was a characteristic feature. She also noted that it gave him a dangerous edge to his brooding looks, making him looking particularly delicious and sexy at times.

'No wonder Musa fell for him,' Layla mused, shaking her head a little as Riven continued to complain about the stiff uniform, the menial labour and the absolute humiliation of it all. It was all very endearing really, the way he continued to protest but still carried on with the duties and tasks he had been assigned. She could see how Musa was attracted to his bad-boy personality that hid a sweeter, inner, big softie. If Musa wasn't so hung up on him, Layla wouldn't have minded going after Riven herself.

'Whoa, dangerous thoughts. Don't go there girl' Layla rebuked herself sternly. But as she watched Riven prance around the room, Layla caught herself watching him intently.

And suddenly, she felt very afraid.


	10. Chapter 10

Her brow furrowed as she stared hard at her reflection. The woman in the mirror did not resemble her at all. She was fresh and loved long summer days; she laughed too loudly, ran around like a mad scamp and acted like she was still her 16 year old self albeit with a little more cynicism. The woman in the mirror was different. She was far older. With her smoky eyes and wine coloured lips, her slender figure clad in a black cocktail dress with a red shawl artfully draped over her shoulders, she looked light years away from the young girlish persona she usually presented. The woman in the mirror looked confident, alluring and seductive, quite unlike the playful, mischievous, coy girl within.

Musa took a deep breath. She didn't recognize herself in that mirror. She looked so much older. And yet, maybe such a change in appearance was necessary. It signaled a start at least, a start to leaving the past behind and moving on bravely, boldly into the future. Perhaps, the image of the older woman in the mirror was a portent of a new life to come.

Now, if only she didn't feel like she was playing dress-up.

---------------------------------------------------

"My gosh, Musa. Are you trying to damn me? No one's going to be listening to my speech now with you looking like that!" Jared said good-naturedly as he slipped an easy arm round Musa's waist and guided her to the main ballroom.

"Thanks for making me feel more self-conscious!" Musa said in mock horror as she punched Jared lightly on the arm.

"You shouldn't be, you look great." Jared said simply. Musa threw a quick glance at her companion. She couldn't wrap her mind around him yet. At times, his words seemed barbed and laced with a flirtatious invitation. And yet, at times, his affectionate, friendly persona seemed to be genuine and true, with no hidden intentions lurking beneath.

"Jared, we are just friends?" Musa asked a little tentatively. She glanced at him again. A thoughtful look filled his features. But then, he shook his head and the easy, goofy grin lit his face again.

"Yes we are friends for now. What we may become... is dependent on what you want." Jared said breezily but his eyes probed deep into hers.

"I want us to be friends." Musa said promptly, the words automatically slipping out of her mouth before she had even time to think. She was startled by the quickness of her reply. Yet, before she could even begin to ponder what psychological underpinnings such a speedy return might have, Musa realized that she had yet another heart to take care of and deal with.

"I'm sorry, that's all I can offer right now," Musa said. Jared gave her a rueful smile.

"I know." He said, while placing a light peck on her forehead, and then in a lighter tone, he exclaimed "Now, let's go party!"

------------------------------------------

He was probably the most inhospitable waiter in New York and he knew that. It was a fact made painfully clear by the way he tended to growl when people ordered him around too much. A low rumble would emit from his throat whenever he was hustled from one end of the room to the next by the mere flick of a hand. What was Layla thinking when she set him up in this position? The possession of bartending skills did not translate into excellent waitressing service. He despised being at the beck and call of the filthy rich and he refused to pay obeisance to anyone. And he looked ridiculous! He looked nothing like himself in this uniform!

Riven growled again as another patron beckoned him to serve his company of friends. In his mind, he plotted how he would murder Layla and the catering manager. He would dispose of the catering manager first since Mr. Drake had been particularly annoying to him today, but then he would go after Layla and exact his revenge.

A peal of laughter caught his attention. He turned slightly towards the familiar tinkle, the helpless giggles and his spirits were momentarily lifted. To his surprise, the girl he expected was not there, in her place stood a more poised, graceful and mature woman. He gaped at this newfound spectacle, his attentions to the former patron entirely diverted as he homed in on her, happily abiding the invisible hand that guided him. The patron who was a rather distinguished gentleman of aristocratic roots was baffled by the lack of attention paid to him. He perceived the waiter's inattention to be a snub and felt himself fall a little from his high lofty pinnacle. In front of his circle of friends however, he kept up a nonchalant air and briefly commented on how standards were falling in the service industry. The patron failed in turn to perceive the glower he received from one of his friends. Layla felt herself grow hot and red at both her supervisor and at Riven. She didn't know who to be angrier at, her supervisor for his snooty attitude or Riven for his careless and the-world-be-damned demeanor.

Riven continued on his path to Musa, taking long purposeful strides whilst still expertly balancing the tray of drinks on the palm of his hand. He realized as the distance between them lessened that he was nervous and unsure. He grabbed a glass from the tray he was carrying and downed the yellow-gold liquid it contained. Was this what Musa's life looked like in New York? Glitzy, professional and ostentatious? He questioned if he could fit into such a life. He was so lost in his thoughts and doubts that it was only when he was but a few feet away from her did he realize that she had a dashing man by her side. Riven stared at her companion. He was glitzy, professional and looked like he could fit in perfectly with an ostentatious background. Riven swallowed hard.

Musa laughed again as Jared did a hilarious imitation of one of their directors. Inexplicably, she felt her laughter grow short and she became aware of a burning presence behind her. She turned slowly, her mind already suggesting who it was before her eyes even met his form.

And she was right.

A/N: ok... I started working 9-7 at my summer job and updates are getting difficult! Nonetheless I love the support you guys give and your enthusiasm to see Musa & Riven together. Thanks for all the reviews and I hope this satisfies you guys for now!


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